One Who Pulls the Strings

Rather to my surprise, I haven't yet seen any rampant speculations about this mysterious figure (the Renown: Criminals 40 reward). I'd like to hear the community's thoughts about them!

Who are they? And how exactly do they manage their network? Specifically this line: &quotSpeak to any barman in Spite, and word will reach me.&quot Are we talking about an extended bat-courier service here? Are messages smuggled via the prison dirigibles? Or something more arcane?

If what they're saying is true, this character seems more like a player of the Great Game than the &quotsimple&quot (if very senior and powerful) head of a Criminal network.

What are the chances this could be the Thief-of-Faces?edited by phryne on 3/3/2019

Well, the way I see him from an RP-standpoint he is a very old acquaintance of my Character down here in London who has been caught a couple of times and could escape, but prefers to stay in the Prison where he is treated like a VIP.

My speculations on the character itself would indeed be someone who has played the Game, and still is to a lesser extent, more interested in the pettier things in the Neath compared to the normally grand ones (countries/politics/etc)

I'm not too versed in the criminals of the Victorian Era so I cannot speculate to a real life counterpart.

I have a some speculations about the One Who Pulls The Strings. All of these may be simultaneously true, or none of them:

The description states that &quotThey reside in the deepest cell in New Newgate.&quot This may be the same thing as the voice from the oubliette, described as being located in a cell at the very tip of the stalactite. On the other hand &quotdeepest&quot may not be the same thing as &quotlowest&quot, which is what the tip of the stalactite would be. &quotDeepest&quot could instead refer to the cell most deeply in the interior of the stalactite.

It's the snuffer (ahem, &quotCousin&quot) that terrifies the prisoners and the guards. If this is the case, then the One Who Pulls the Strings can come and go from its cell as it pleases.

It's the person you correspond with from the Regular Correspondence With an Incarcerate, described as the first prisoner cast into New Newgate for an unspeakable crime, who sends you letters stained with candle-wax. This would not only qualify her to be thrown into the deepest cell in the prison (possibly the oubliette), but the candle-wax might be a reference to the dietary habits of snuffers, too.